"The art of journalistic content: 5 strategies for engaging your audience"

In an age where information is plentiful and attention spans fleeting, savvy brands understand the value in adopting a journalistic approach to content creation – with a view to capturing the attention of their increasingly selective audience.

Producing high-quality editorial content is tough to accomplish. It requires a deep understanding of the target audience, a strong editorial voice, and a commitment to journalistic integrity.

Above all else, it demands that a company resists the temptation to promote its products and services. Readers of editorial content can quickly detect when a brand shifts from story to sales and, in this context, it’s a turn off.

Finding a Fresh Perspective: Uncovering Unique Angles for Compelling Narratives

Alpha Grid is the content studio of the Financial Times, so much of the branded content that we produce sits alongside articles written by Financial Times journalists and, while we make it clear that these pieces are sponsored, FT performance data tells us that anything that feels out of place or inauthentic can disrupt the reader’s experience. That’s why we take great care to ensure that our partner content is not only informative and engaging but also feels native to our platform.

We apply the same principles to the journalistic content we create for brands to publish on their own channels. Whether it’s videos, interactive infographics, or even live events, we strive to present information in a way that is informative, compelling, and ultimately thought-provoking.

Strategies for Compelling Editorial Content

So how can brands steer away from product marketing and towards truly engaging editorial content? Here’s what we recommend keeping in mind:

• Put your audience first: know who they are and what they care about, and ensure that the content is relevant to their needs.
• Look for a fresh perspective. We work with many brands that share common themes – such as energy transformation, sustainable food production and ESG investment strategies – so we have a vantage point that allows us to spot the similarities and differences among these stories. By leveraging this perspective, we’re able to collaborate with our clients to craft narratives that offer a distinctive take on these topics so that they deliver information and insights the audience might not have come across before. Finding a unique angle is challenging. Content creation by committee rarely delivers a powerful voice, but good ideas don’t exist in a vacuum so, in the early stages of the piece, consider a brainstorming session to hammer out thoughts, and cross-reference ideas with other teams.
• Vary the format. Choosing the right format can help to create ahead-of-the-curve content. Visual media, such as videos, animations and infographics, can be effective in conveying complex information in a more digestible way, while a podcast allows you to explore greater detail, giving a voice to independent contributors.
• Think like a journalist. Conduct thorough research, frame the information in a narrative format, and seek out third party views and comments to broaden the appeal.
• And, finally, behave like a journalist. Branded content is not unbiased reporting but, as creators, we owe it to the audience to be transparent with sources, provide data, and factcheck, edit and verify all information before publication.

When brands get it right, journalistic-led content is engaging and informative; it works to build trust and credibility, while ultimately driving sales and revenue.